Carlos Moreno, professor at IAE Paris Business School, is celebrated for his work on smart and sustainable cities. His concept of the "15-Minute City" has gained global recognition for its innovative approach to urbanism. Born in Colombia and later becoming a French citizen, Moreno emphasizes the importance of diverse interactions in fostering innovation. He has received prestigious awards like the OBEL Award 2021 and the UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour Award 2022 for his significant contributions to urban development.
Catherina Gall
Catherine Gall is the Executive Director of the Sorbonne based ETI Research Laboratory (Entrepreneurship Territory Innovation) created by Carlos Moreno. Catherine is also an experienced creative design thinker, business leader and entrepreneur, as well as a member of the Responsible Leaders Network of the BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt.
Carlo Ratti
Trained as an architect and engineer, Professor Carlo Ratti is affiliated with both the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Politecnico di Milano. He serves as a founding partner of the architecture and innovation firm CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati, with offices in Torino, New York City, and London, and directs the Senseable City Lab. Carlo earned degrees from the Politecnico di Torino and the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées in Paris. He pursued further studies, including an MPhil and PhD, at the University of Cambridge, UK, and completed his doctoral research as a Fulbright Scholar at MIT.
Christian Ketels
Christian Ketels is a member of Harvard Business School faculty at Professor Michael E. Porter’s Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness. He holds a PhD (Econ) from the London School of Economics and degrees from the Kiel Institute for World Economics and Cologne University. He is President of TCI, a global network of professionals in competitiveness, clusters, and innovation, Honorary Professor at European Business School Oestrich-Winckel, and Senior Research Fellow at Stockholm School of Economics. In 2009, he was a Visiting Professor at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Singapore. Ketels has led cluster and competitiveness projects worldwide, authored numerous papers on economic policy, and is a frequent speaker on competitiveness and strategy in Europe, North America, and Asia.
Daniela Constantin
Daniela Luminita Constantin is a Full Professor of Regional Economics at the Academy of Economic Studies of Bucharest, where she also directs the Research Centre for Macroeconomic and Regional Forecasting. She serves as President of the Romanian Regional Science Association and is a member of the Evaluation Committee for Romania’s Regional Operational Programme, co-funded by the EU. Recently she has been elected Member of the Academia Europaea. Additionally, she reviews manuscripts for several esteemed journals and serves as an editor for the International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management.
Nicos Komninos
Nicos Komninos, a professor at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, specializes in Urban Development, Planning, and Innovation. He directs URENIO Research Lab and founded Intelspace Innovation Technologies. With a focus on smart cities and innovation systems, he has led over a hundred projects under European research programs. Komninos has contributed to designing software applications for smart cities and authored numerous publications, including several books. Recognized for his research, he has received awards and serves on editorial boards for academic journals.
Peter Batey
Peter Batey is Emeritus Professor of Town and Regional Planning at the University of Liverpool, UK, known internationally for his expertise in quantitative urban and regional analysis. He held the prestigious Lever Chair in Town and Regional Planning until his retirement in 2015. Notably, he played key roles in the successful Mersey Basin Campaign, including chairing it from 2004 to 2010. Under his leadership, the campaign significantly improved water quality and promoted regeneration in a historically polluted region. Despite initially planning to close the campaign in 2010, Peter continued to lead its evolution, resulting in the establishment of the Mersey Rivers Trust, which continues its mission today.
Peter Nijkamp
Peter Nijkamp is a professor in regional and urban economics and in economic geography at the VU University, Amsterdam. In the past years he has focussed his research in particular on new quantitative methods for policy analysis, as well as on spatial-behavioural analysis of economic agents. He has a broad expertise in the area of public policy, services planning, infrastructure management and environmental protection. In all these fields he has published many books and numerous articles. He is member of editorial/advisory boards of more than 30 journals. He has been visiting professor in many universities all over the world. According to the RePec list he belongs to the top-30 of well-known economists worldwide. He is past president of the European Regional Science Association and of the Regional Science Association International.
